Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past
by Aeron Ranmark
Summary: 4 months after Advent Children. While Tifa contemplates a way she can confess her love to Cloud, a mysterious figure from Cloud's past appears and threatens to take away everything he holds dear. CloTi. CH.9 up!
1. Chapter 1: Forgotten Promises

**Disclaimer: **I do not own FFVII or any of its characters. All rights to the game and movie belong to Square-Enix.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 1: Forgotten Promises**

The morning mist was something most people frown on. It's foggy, unclear, and near impossible to find your way out of. However, in such a small town, there's not much to miss, therefore the mist is something the residents of this town actually appreciate. Outside the large gates of this town, a sign was planted into the ground. The letters on it were fairly large, so they were easy to read. With a pair of keen eyes, one could even make out the letters said: "Welcome to Nibelheim."

While the residents of this small town went about their business, off in the distance was a group of people, numbering in five, watching the villagers. The person in the center of the group was looking through a pair of binoculars, closely studying every move and every face he saw through the looking glass. His black, spiked hair blew in the wind as he took the binoculars away from his eyes, a small smirk growing on his face. The other people in the group were bored. This was shown by their constant yawning and stretching. One of the men stood up with his gun at his side.

"Hey, boss. When are we gonna make our move already? We've been watchin these people for over half an hour!"

The boss, the dark-haired individual, kept the smirk on his face as slightly turned his head back to the grunt who approached him. "Aw, poor Nez is a little bored, eh?" He chuckled. Once he stopped, he resumed what he was saying. "Don't worry, boys. It's almost time. Once we take care of business here, everything else will just go according to plan." The other men there just chuckled because they knew what was coming. The boss looked at his watch. 8:30 on the dot.

"Alright fellas. Time to get to work."

A woman was carrying some bags full of groceries from the store she had just exited. The store itself was positioned near the gate to the town, which were usually kept closed. As she walked, she heard a noise coming from beyond the gates. She stopped in place and looked towards where this noise was coming from. At first, it sounded like an engine. As she got closer to the gate, the noise kept getting louder and louder, like it was coming closer. Before she got to the gate, the doors suddenly flung open. A huge gust of wind caused the woman to fall on her back as three motorcycles flew over her and skidded on the ground. Three of the men started shooting, killing random citizens who were trying to get away. The boss, who had his own motorcycle, got off of the bike and brandished his extraordinary weapon. It was a large, double-edged sword that looked like it would be impossible to wield through normal means, but this man efficiently wielded it with only one hand. The blade was a dark grey; while the blade was wide at the start from its attachment to the hilt, it would eventually become thinner by about 3 inches.

He stood in the midst of the town as all the defenseless townsfolk were shot dead. Even those who hid in their homes weren't safe as they met the same fate. A large man, roughly 6'5", stood behind the boss. As the last shots were fired, the wind began to blow again. Dust rose from the ground as the wind picked it up. There was utter silence in this place. However, only one survivor remained: the woman who had fallen from earlier. She was quietly trying to crawl away. The boss tilted his head back to find her, and she knew instantly that she was caught. The boss smirked as he made his way towards her. The woman was panicked, desperately trying to get away to save her own life. As she nearly got to her feet, the boss stood over her, his shadow cast over her as his tall figure blocked the sun. She looked up into the boss' eyes, noticing a strange, green glow to them. The woman had tears in her own eyes, scared for her very life.

"Please…" she pleaded, "..don't kill me. Please, I beg…" However, she was quickly silenced by the swinging of the boss' sword as it killed the poor woman.

The boss stood walked away from the woman and rejoined his gang. "So boss…" said the large member, "…you really think he'll show up?"

The boss smirked as he kept his head low. He turned his back to his fellow team members as he looked up into the sky. "Of course." He replied. The could feel the chill in his voice. Not to say that he was emotionless, just that his mere presence was… frightening.

"After all…" he continued as he looked into the bright blue sky, the same dark smirk on his face. "…we have a promise to keep…right?"

---

Cloud awoke very suddenly from his sleep, sweating heavily and grabbing his chest to keep his heart from bursting out of it. His breathing was heavy. As his eyes scoured the room, they fell upon the window, looking out into the streets as the sun gave light to them. Cloud's eyes came back to look down at his covers as he removed his hand from his chest. His breathing finally went back to normal. He sighed as he laid himself back down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

"Just a dream."

* * *

A/N: R&R pleeeeeeeaaase! This is my first fanfic and I want to know whether you all like it enough for me to continue. Be as critical as you like, I will openly welcome your opinions. 


	2. Chapter 2: Try, Try Again

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FFVII or any of its characters. All rights to the game and movie belong to Square-Enix.

**Notes**: Italics represent thoughts, also what happened in Cloud's dream.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 2: Try, Try Again**

Cloud could not seem to get back to sleep after that dream he had. It had disturbed him so much that no matter how much he tossed and turned, it was no use. He switched positions to lie on his back again, staring up at the ceiling. As he stared at the ceiling, he placed his hands behind his head. He breathed in deeply as he let out a long sigh. Trying to contemplate this dream that disturbed him, Cloud closed his eyes in order to remember what exactly happened.

_Cloud was standing in the midst of a burning 7th Heaven. The ash floating through the air touched Cloud's face, causing him to flinch as the heat singed him. Cloud was horrified He looked around frantically. Was there something he was searching for? It finally dawned upon him as his eyes widened. "Tifa? Denzel? Marlene! Where are you? Please answer me!" He ran throughout the bar to find his loved ones, but with every door he opened, every turn he took, he was only met with flames. He finally came to Tifa's room. Surely the children would know to find Tifa or Cloud in a situation like this. When he opened the door, he found Tifa holding Denzel and Marlene, all sitting against the left wall. Cloud was relieved to have found them. But…they were terrified. Cloud was confused as he saw the horrified expressions on their faces. However, they weren't looking at Cloud. As Cloud scoured the room more, he saw another man standing in front of Tifa and the children. He held a great sword over his shoulder, smirking down at the terrified trio. He then slowly lowered his head. Then, something he did made Cloud's spine freeze…. he laughed. It was a dark and evil laugh, almost a chuckle really. He slowly tilted his head toward Cloud. The blonde could see the man's eyes. They were a dark brown, as dark as this man's soul. However, something was also odd about them. They were dark, yet they were also….glowing. A greenish glow tinted this man's eyes. Before Cloud could ask who he was, the man spoke first. "You were…never lookin out for me…." He said this as if it was amusing, yet he was as calm as can be. Then, he swiftly turned his head back to Tifa and the children, and brought up his mighty sword, intending to bring it down on Cloud's family. "NOOOOO!" Cloud screamed as he darted forth in front of Tifa and the children. As he shielded his them…_

Cloud opened his eyes, the green mako energy shining as always. That was all he could remember. It had happened so fast that he couldn't remember the rest. Cloud sat himself up on his bed. He grabbed his head, showing signs of a slight headache. He opened his eyes, staring at nothing in particular as he still contemplated his nightmare. _What could it mean?_ Cloud then focused on the face of the man he saw. For some reason, he felt like he should have remembered it. _I feel like... I know him. _However, the answers weren't coming to him, and thinking about it more was just making his headache worse. Cloud ran his hand through his hair, touching the various spikes. He could feel that they were misshapen, a result most likely from sleeping.

After pulling the covers off of his legs, Cloud set his feet on the ground while still sitting on the bed. He stretched his arms and back to further try to awaken his still sleepy state. He got up from the bed, scratching the back of his head. This had become a normal habit for him. He didn't have an itch persay. There were just times where he scratched his head for no reason.

He looked at the clock while he still had a chance. 10:00 am. He was usually up about two hours before that. His delivery service took a lot of his time, and it was important each day that he got an early start. Cloud was dreading having to work today. _Gotta make a living somehow, otherwise Tifa will think I've turned into a deadbeat. _He made his way to the bathroom where he took a nice long shower. There was a point where he stood under the pouring water, just letting it flow onto him. Perhaps it was a sign of him washing away his fears from the nightmare he had. After his shower, Cloud went back to his room to get dressed.

---

Tifa was having a peaceful sleep, unlike Cloud. She never usually had anything that troubled her soul. Well, that's not completely true. The one thing that had ached her the most since the death of her father was being unable to tell the man she loved how she really felt. Since the time Cloud left to join SOLDIER, Tifa had fallen in love with Cloud. When he was gone, all she could ever do was think about him. The promise she and Cloud had made that night on the tower of Nibelheim had first just been a beginning bond between two friends. However, as Tifa began to fall deeper in love, she began to think that promise was real, and that Cloud would always be there for her. Unknown to her, when Sephiroth had gravely injured her, Cloud indeed kept his promise. He was the one who saved her from Sephiroth; her knight in shining armor, though she never knew this until she helped Cloud rebuild his forgotten memories.

However, what made it hard to love Cloud was not knowing whether he did, or ever would, feel the same way. She didn't even know if Cloud knew for himself. He had always been a mysterious type of person. Quiet and reserved, he never opened himself easily to let people in. When Tifa helped Cloud find out who he really was, he was able to open his heart a little more, though it hasn't been easy. Tifa usually just tried to shrug this off by thinking that he just needs time. But, there had always been that little doubt inside her that says Cloud will never be able to open himself completely, it's just part of who he is. But maybe, just maybe, Cloud will find a way.

Denzel and Marlene were already awake. They had gotten up about two hours after Cloud did, and were playing hide-and-go-seek in the house. Pretty soon, their sounds of laughter and screaming as they scared one another had awakened the brunette. She tried to believe that maybe they would settle down after a few minutes, but that never happened. As another loud scream was heard, followed by laughter, Tifa groaned as she hit the pillow as a sign of resentment in being forced to get up. She was only wearing her white tank top and underwear. After getting dressed in her black top and shorts, she made her way down the hall to go downstairs. Before she descended down the steps however, the open door of Cloud's office caught her eye.

She decided to check in on her friend to see how he was doing. Cloud was sitting at his desk, going through some paperwork of deliveries that needed to be made. Tifa finally made it to the doorway, but stopped there. She just wanted to stand there and watch Cloud for a moment. He didn't even notice her standing there because he was so caught up in his work. A million thoughts raced through Tifa's mind at that moment. _Why does he always feel he has to work so hard? Taking a day isn't so bad._ As she continued to watch him, one more thought entered. _Do you love me, Cloud?_ That was all she could ask herself it seemed. She just wanted to know. She wanted some form of resolution from him. Unfortunately, Cloud wasn't able to give her an answer.

Almost like he heard her thoughts, Cloud finally turned around and saw Tifa standing there.

"Tifa?" he asked with a confused look on his face. Tifa's attention was immediately brought back to reality when she noticed that Cloud was looking at her.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to bother you."

"It's no bother. Is there something you needed?"

_An answer would be nice._ But Tifa didn't have the courage to even ask the question. She was almost as notorious as hiding her feelings as Cloud was. Remembering that Cloud had asked her a question, she stumbled to answer him.

"Um… do you have a lot of deliveries today?"

Cloud sighed heavily as he nodded, looking back at his paperwork. "It will probably take me all day to get this done." He turned back to his work, thinking the conversation had ended. Just like a guy, huh?

"Do you think maybe… you could take the day off?"

Cloud sighed again. "Sorry Tifa. I gotta finish this today otherwise I'll never get it done." _ I can't have you thinking I'm a deadbeat. That's the last thing I want. _It seemed Cloud had this image in his head about what kind of person Tifa wanted. He felt himself constantly trying to prove himself in a way. He really hadn't changed much since he was a kid. Cloud was always trying to find a way to get Tifa to notice him. That was really the main reason he tried to join SOLDIER. To this day, he felt like he had never earned Tifa's friendship. But was her friendship all he was trying to earn?

Tifa wasn't showing it, but she became very irritated. "Do you even know what day it is?"

Cloud looked back at her, like it was a stupid question she was asking. "It's Tuesday. What of it? Something I missed?" The heavy breathing of an angry woman echoed in the room now. Cloud obviously knew that this was from Tifa. He looked back at her, seeing probably the most angry face he had ever seen.

_I… can't believe… he forgot!_ "Nevermind!" Tifa stormed out of the room and made her way downstairs. Cloud was very confused now. "What did I do?" he asked himself. Since this was obviously about something in particular about today, he looked at his calendar to check his notes. Once he came to today's date, he lowered his head in shame.

_I can't believe I forgot._ He now knew that he had to remedy this somehow. The note with the date read: Denzel's birthday.

* * *

A/N: BUSTED! I actually though to put that in today since I needed a reason for Cloud and Tifa to fight in the next chapter. R&R please. Please let me know of any problems you might have with the story and what I can do to fix it. 


	3. Chapter 3: Home Away From Home

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 3: Home Away From Home**

Cloud slowly made his way out of the doorway and down the hall. He knew he was in for it now. Not only from Tifa, but from Marlene and Denzel too. Cloud let out a sigh as he slowly descended the stairs. Tifa and the children could hear Cloud's footsteps, and while the children were excited, Tifa knew what to expect.

"Morning Cloud!" said Denzel.

"Hey kids." Cloud responded. He looked at Tifa, trying to see if she was still angry at him. She didn't bother to look back at him, knowing however that he was looking. She continued making breakfast, and quickly turned her back on him. Cloud looked away as he sat down at the table. Denzel had eaten his pancakes rather quickly. He wanted to commence with the celebration already. They had all planned to go out today for Denzel's birthday and just enjoy a good day at the park and the market.

"So, are we ready to go Cloud?" the boy asked his hero. Cloud saw the innocent eyes Denzel held, and was immediately overcome with shame and guilt. He looked back at Tifa once more, who had her eyes on him. She motioned her head at Denzel as if saying 'Go on. Answer him'. Cloud brought his attention back to the boy.

"Actually Denzel…. I… I have a lot of… work to do, so…. I can't come today." Cloud's heart ached even more when he saw the happy eyes of Denzel instantly become sad and disappointed. His hero let him down… again. How could he do such a thing? And on this day? He didn't want to make Cloud feel any more guilty than he already did, so he tried to pass off that it was ok.

"Oh. Well, that's ok, Cloud. I'm sure you would be with us if you could." He pushed his seat back to go to his room. Marlene did the same, knowing that Denzel would need some support. Cloud tried to make up for his stupidity.

"But I'll be back later and we can celebrate then."

"No… that's ok. Don't worry about it Cloud." Denzel kept walking up the stairs, his voice reflecting the sadness in his soul.

"Denzel. I promise I'll make this up to you. Tomorrow I'll take the day off and we can go to the park."

"Sure. That's fine." Denzel wasn't excited though. No matter how earnest Cloud was about this promise, Denzel just saw them as empty words. He and Marlene went to their room and shut it. Now, the real trouble was about to begin.

Cloud rested his head on his hand. Tifa hadn't spoken yet. Believing that she was waiting for him, Cloud finally spoke up. "I'm sorry, I really am. I just… forgot." "You mean you didn't care enough to remember." Tifa had beat around the bush to the real truth behind it, even though Cloud didn't believe it. He really did want to remember Denzel's birthday, but from all the work he had been doing, and all the thinking of Tifa, he just forgot. The nightmares didn't make it any easier.

"Tifa, that's not true." He pleaded.

"Oh yes it is. We never seem to be number one on your priority list." Tifa was not looking at Cloud, rather she was furiously washing dishes. "When we need you the most for family time, you always seem to be occupied. But when a delivery must be made or someone to fight, you come shining through."

Cloud couldn't offer up a response. He knew that she was right, and that arguing would do him no good. "Tifa, I really am sorry." The brunette immediately slammed dishes down on the counter. They didn't break, but the noise was very loud. Cloud looked at her, and she looked back at him, anger swelling in her eyes. " 'Sorry' won't cut it this time! What the hell is your damage? Why can't you ever just accept some happiness for a change? What do you want from us? All we ever do is put up with your attitude and your excuses!" Tifa had finally had enough. She wasn't prepared to kick him out, but as long as he lived with them, she would chew him out when he deserved it. And this tension had been building up for too long.

He still offered no defense for himself. _Go on Tifa. Chew me out. I deserve it for what I've put you all through._ His head sunk low as he braced himself for the next verbal attack. Tifa was silent however. Breathing in deeply, she knew that screaming his head off was not going to change anything. She had tried helping him for so long. Since that didn't seem to work, she figured that it was time that Cloud dug himself out of his own mess. She walked out from behind the counter to go to Denzel's room. She stopped at the stairway to leave Cloud with some parting words. "Figure out what it the hell it is you want, then you can come apologize." With that said, she walked up the stairs to Denzel's room.

Cloud was left in the silence. It seemed to be all the he had with him other than his friends, but he seemed to accept the silence more than them. He slammed his fist on the table, angry at himself for being such an idiot. He calmed down before he attempted to hit the table again. Still angry at himself, Cloud got up from the chair and walked upstairs. He stopped outside Denzel's room, hearing voices from inside.

"Denzel." Marlene said. "Cloud really is sorry. I'm sure he didn't mean to forget."

"Then why did he forget? Doesn't he like me? Doesn't he like us?" he was referring to Tifa and Marlene as well. Tifa looked at Marlene. Both had the same sad eyes. Trying to console Denzel, they both hugged him from opposite sides. "Cloud loves you both." Tifa said. "He's just… confused right now." Her attitude about him had changed. Though she was still mad, Tifa couldn't help but still love Cloud. "Don't worry kids. Cloud is trying, he really is. Just give him some time, ok?" They both nodded.

Cloud was still silent as he heard them speaking. Guilt was all he could feel in his heart. He had caused them so much hurt, and still Tifa defended him. Not two minutes ago she was chewing him out. Now she said that Cloud just needed time. _I've wasted too much time already. All I seem to do is push them away._ Cloud walked to his office to grab his keys before leaving. As he turned to walk out, something caught his eye. It was the picture of the whole gang the day they stopped Kadaj. He made his way to the desk and picked up the frame. He slightly smiled at all his friends. That is, until his eyes caught Tifa's face. There he stood, just staring at Tifa's beautiful face. Cloud always believed she was beautiful, nothing would ever change that. But, it was so much more than her beauty.

The way she always stayed with him when he needed her, the way she always had words ready to help him, even if she was screaming them at him. She had always been there for him. Even when he pushed her away, she was still there. There was so much more to her that made Cloud…. love her? Was that what this was? Love? It was such an unfamiliar thing to him. In all his life, Cloud had never been in love with anyone…. except Tifa. He had loved her all along. The problem was, he was too reserved to ever tell her. And… he always believed it was unrequited love. How could a wonderful person like Tifa ever cherish someone like Cloud? That was why he always spent his time trying to find ways to earn her love. _Who could ever love me? _With a heavy heart and a big sigh, Cloud set the picture down and left the room. On his way through the hall, he stopped at Denzel's door again and touched it lightly with his fingertips. _Tifa's right. Just give me some time, ok? I'll get myself out of this mess I've made._ He continued down the hallway and down the stairs until he made it outside to his Fenrir. He started the engine and turned the bike around, preparing to go on his way.

Before he left, Cloud looked up through the window into Denzel's room, gazing on Tifa and the children. He then brought his attention back to the road and sped off.

---

Silence. That was all that was left in the town of Nibelheim. Any of the townspeople that were still alive either escaped into the mountains or managed to leave town completely. Everyone else…. well, didn't make it out of town. In the center of this once vibrant village was the tall tower that Cloud and Tifa once used as a meeting place. At the base of this tower, the boss leaned against it, twirling his sword as the metal made various scratching noises against the dirt. The other gang members were off pillaging or burning anything they wanted. What was once five had now numbered somewhere near ten. The first five were the best of the gang, so it was only right that they should go first after all. Not too far from the boss was the large man. He stood at nearly 6'5", and weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 280 lbs. This was not fat weight however. Well, not most of it anyway. His stomach stuck out somewhat, but the rest of him was all muscle. He wore a shirt with the sleeves torn off and black pants.

The boss was shorter than his right hand man, but there was a reason he was the boss. His short spiked hair pointed mostly up, but there were the occasional spikes that went in different directions. His outfit was actually a full bodysuit, loose around the legs, with the left sleeve, including some space near the shoulder, torn off completely. The torso half of his bodysuit was a perfect fit for him, able to show off his athletic build without looking like spandex. The last touches were fingerless gloves he wore on his hands, and his black boots.

One of the gang members with a rifle came up to the boss to speak with him. "Hey, Zetrion, when are we gonna call up this buddy of yours?" The boss, now known as Zetrion, opened his eyes and glared at this grunt who dared speak to him.

"In time. I'm too busy enjoying the spoils of our pillage today."

The grunt was confused at his statement. Zetrion had no possessions near him other than his sword. However, the dark haired savage wasn't talking about loot. Zetrion smelled the air around him. The smell of smoke, chaos, and blood. These were like a drug to him. These were the spoils of his pillaging. The rest of the gang thought he was crazy, which he was, but they weren't about to go against him either. Their reason: just look what happened to Nibelheim, and that was only because the people were in hi way.

"Come one man, we've been waiting here for…"

He was cut off immediately. He was seemingly unable to find air to speak his next words. When he looked, he found Zetrion's hand around his throat, gripping it tightly as his eyes slowly started seeing black. He heard a dark chuckle echo from the lips of Zetrion.

"If you're so bored…. perhaps you'll be able to find more entertainment…. in the Lifestream…"

With that, he quickly jolted his hand to the left, snapping the grunt's neck like it was a twig. After Zetrion chuckled once again, he tossed the dead body aside and watched it hit the ground. Turning around to the rest of the gang, he still had the same evil smile on his face. "Dormay." He called out to his right hand man. "Make the call. I'm gonna do a little exploring." Zetrion turned back to the tower and grabbed his sword. He held the sword in a reverse style, where the blade was behind rather than in front of him while he held it at his right side.

He walked up a dirt path that forked, forming two other paths. One lead to the mountains, famously known as Mt. Nibel; the other, to a much darker place with as much dark history as the mountains themselves: Shinra Mansion. It was built as a stay for Shinra employees, mostly executives, when the mako reactor was built in the mountains. What most don't know about it was that a mad scientist, Dr. Hojo, used this mansion to house his sick experiments. This was the very place where Cloud was held and experimented on after facing Sephiroth.

Something else most don't know is that Zetrion also has history tied to this mansion. Feeling like was in a home away from home, Zetrion stepped through the front door to carry out his exploration.

* * *

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews. They have encouraged me to continue with this story. Some of the dialogue in this chapter was influenced by "I Need You To Love Me" by Barlow Girl. I heard the song on a CloudTifa fan video once and I liked the video a lot. All Cloud and Tifa fans should watch this video. You will really believe that it is about Cloud and Tifa. Well, I'll update as soon as I can. I have a long day tomorrow filled with an 8 hour shift at work grumbles. So I'll probably update on Tuesday. Later! 


	4. Chapter 4: I Forgive You

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 4: I Forgive You**

Zetrion breathed in the dusty air the mansion gave off. No one had ever stepped foot in this place for a while; most believed that it was haunted. Of course, they wouldn't be too far off with that accusation. Hojo created many monsters in this house, and ghost had been spotted here before. It was certainly a place no one would want to spend the night in. However, Zetrion had been prepared to face any kind of threat. In fact, he knew the dangers of this mansion. After all, he used to live here…. sort of.

_Nothing's changed._

Zetrion began exploring the first floor. Everything seemed to still be in the same place. When he came to the living room with the large carpet on the floor and the chandelier above him, he saw the same two stairways that led to the same place. He chose the right stairway, running his hand on the railing. However, this was not to make sure he wouldn't fall, but just to get a feel for the old place again. He slowly made his way up the steps, his boots making an echo everytime they hit the floor. Soon, Zetrion came to dead end, having only the choice of turning left or right. On instinct, he turned right.

After navigating his way through a hallway, he came to a small library. It was very messy, paintings and furniture scattered throughout the room. He started tossing furniture and paintings aside, as if he was trying to look for something. When he ceased his search, he kicked a small coffee table aside out of frustration. Then, something came to him.

Like it was some sort of memory, he recalled being carried to this room. He was unconscious before, but then, he opened his eyes slowly to see a hunched man in a labcoat pulling on a certain book, which caused the bookshelf to open, revealing a hidden door.

Zetrion pulled himself out of his trance. _I always get headaches when I think about this place._ Remembering what he saw in his memory, he searched the book shelf for that certain book. Finally, he found it. He grabbed the book and pulled it back. Doing so initiated a sequence of locks being unlocked until finally, the secret door opened, revealing a winding staircase that led all the way down.

"Hehe… found you."

---

The dishes were all done. Tifa had just cooked dinner for the kids. It was Denzel's favorite meal. She felt she had to cheer him up somehow since he was so disappointed by Cloud. After she finished the dishes, Tifa snuck to the closet, managing to get past Denzel's line of vision. The night was not over. They couldn't forget one of the most important parts of a birthday: presents! Tifa grabbed two presents. There were supposed to be three, but… well, _someone_ forgot this special day.

Tifa made her entrance holding one present in each hand. "Tadaaa!" she said. Marlene laughed at Tifa's silliness. Densel smiled a little, not really in the mood to laugh. Tifa quickly set the presents down in front of the birthday boy. Marlene left quickly to go into the kitchen to receive the other significance of a birthday: the cake! She and Tifa then joined in singing Denzel his birthday song.

Though the boy wished another person could have been singing with them, he put on a smile for the two ladies of his life. "Thanks Tifa. Thanks Marlene. This all looks really great. It's been a good birthday." He smiled again. Tifa knew that he was still sad however. She was sad too. She missed Cloud, as did Marlene. But they tried to make the best of a bad situation.

Denzel opened the first present. The card read, "From: Marlene". Denzel didn't care what it was; he knew that he would like anything from Marlene. After ripping off the wrapping paper, he opened the box to find a picture. When he looked closer, it was a drawing Marlene had made of them, encased in a rather nice picture frame. Denzel immediately liked it. It had also seemed that Marlene was becoming quite the artist.

"Thanks Marlene! It's a really nice picture." Marlene giggled as she hugged Denzel. "You're welcome."

"Ok. One more present to go." It seemed like Denzel was finally starting to cheer up, despite Cloud not being there. He reached for the second gift and ripped the wrapping paper eagerly. He opened the box to find something that… was confusing to say the least. It was a piece of paper with various drawings and arrows on it. At First Denzel didn't understand, but the more time he took to look at it, he soon realized that it was a treasure map.

"Is there treasure at the 'x'?"

Tifa giggled. "Follow the map and you'll see."

Denzel quickly got to work on following the map, Marlene close behind him to help him follow it right. Tifa got up from her chair as well, a smile on her face. Seeing Denzel being so excited brought such a joy in her heart that a mother feels for her child when they're happy. Denzel had become like a son to Tifa. Since she was a child she dreamed of having a family of her own. Denzel was like a first step to having a complete family.

The child was eventually led to the back door. With eagerness in his heart, he quickly opened the door. Denzel's eyes went wide when he saw his new present. He couldn't contain his excitement as he leapt into the air out of joy.

"A new bike!" Denzel looked behind him to see Tifa smiling back at him. He ran to his foster mother and gave her the biggest hug he had ever given her. "Thank you, Tifa!" He then ran to his new bike and began riding it around the area, Marlene and Tifa just watching him from the doorway.

"Today did turn out good after all. Right, Tifa?" The little girl looked at Tifa with happy eyes. She wanted to hear Tifa say that today went perfectly.

Tifa wasn't very good at lying, but for Marlene's sake, she would try. "It was perfect, Marlene." She said as she bent down and hugged Marlene. The happy girl went out to meet Denzel and played with him

The beautiful brunette just sighed as she watched them play. It was getting dark. She looked up at the sky, seeing the first signs of stars piercing the black substance of space. She sighed again, thinking of Cloud and wondering if he were doing the exact same thing. Cloud. _Cloud._ Why couldn't she get him off of her mind? She still had every right to be mad at him. She still slightly was. But something about how happy Denzel was in the end somehow made her feel a little better.

"I forgive you."

---

The roar of the Fenrir came to a halt at a certain hilltop. The rider clothed in black stepped off of his back and went through his bag to find something. He finally found what he was looking for and slowly started walking up the hill. The dust from his footsteps rose and settled each time, the soft wind blowing it away. When he came to the top of the hill, Cloud saw something that was a great reminder of why he embraced a normal life. The sword which stuck into the ground was once the sword of his best friend Zack. It was the sword he used to challenge Sephiroth, the sword used to protect Cloud when he and Zack were on the run; it was the very sword passed on to Cloud after Zack died defending his best friend. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, torn with shame of being unable to help his friend. Cloud quickly shook his head to get those thought out of his head. He walked up to the sword and knelt in front of it, placing down what he brought from his bag: two pink flowers. Cloud then got up and slowly backed away from the sword.

"I will keep my promise to you… I'll live your share of life too."

Before Cloud turned to leave, he looked up at the sky. He noticed the first signs of stars. Something brought such a calm feeling to him when he looked at the stars. It seemed like only yesterday that he was with Tifa on the tower as they both watched the stars. _Is she looking up too?_ A small smile escaped onto Cloud's lips as he thought about Tifa. This was indeed a rare thing. Cloud almost never smiled, but the very thought of Tifa gave him… peace. Like the peace he had been searching for nearly all his life.

_Will I ever be able to move on? Will I…_

As another thought was about to enter his mind, he quickly dismissed it. He looked up once more at the stars, then made his way back down the hilltop.

---

Cloud stopped his motorcycle just outside the house. He had hoped that it didn't wake anyone. Most likely they were already asleep. He looked at his watch, seeing that the time was 11:54. He got off his bike. Before he went into the house, he noticed a bicycle parked on the porch. He was confused at first. Then he realized it was Denzel's new birthday present. _I'm gonna have to find something better than that to make him like me again._ Cloud then quietly entered the house.

No one was downstairs, just as he expected. He slowly walked up the stairs, avoiding every loose and creaked board he knew of, and finally made it into the hall. He stopped by Denzel and Marlene's room, opening the door to check on them. They were fast asleep. On Denzel's nightstand, he saw a new picture. He admired Marlene's drawing, as well as the frame it was encased in. He closed the door quietly and made it to his room.

He didn't even have a chance to take his clothes off before the phone started ringing. Cloud flinched really quick, cursing under his breathe. _You've got to be kidding me._ Reluctantly, he answered the phone, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Strife Delivery Service. You name it, we deliver it." _Now go away._

"Is this Cloud Strife?"

"Speaking."

"I have a job for you to do."

"Sorry. I'm closed tomorrow. Got something I need to take care of."

"If I were you, I would reconsider."

First he has the nerve to call this late. Then he starts with the threats? Cloud was very unhappy with this customer. "Look pal, what part of, 'I'm closed tomorrow' didn't you understand?"

"If you do this job for me, I'll pay you double your normal fee."

Cloud was stunned at this offer. "Double?" he asked confusedly.

"Not enough? Fine, I'll triple it."

Cloud now had to think about this. He had promised Denzel today that he would take him to the park tomorrow and spend quality time with him. Cloud was even going to take him to the market and let him choose whatever he wanted as a present. He didn't want to break his promise, but triple his normal fee? That wasn't something he could just walk away from. _I could even use the money to get Denzel something really nice._ With a heavy heart, Cloud put the phone back to his ear, ready to make his choice.

"What's the destination?"

The man on the other line chuckled in victory. "You'll pick up the package in Kalm tomorrow. Then make you way to Nibelheim." Cloud's eyes widened at the name of that town. "Someone will meet you at the gate to pick up the package and give you your money. I'm sure you'll have no problem making your way to Nibelheim. Meet the man in Kalm at he bar around 12:00. The package doesn't need to be delivered until the next day, so feel free to stay the night. That's all."

Cloud heard a click on the other line. He then hung up his own phone. He let out a great sigh, taking off his black clothing to slip into his tank shirt and pajama pants. Before going to sleep, Cloud decided to do one more thing. He slowly crept into the hall again and went past the kid's room to another door further down. Easily and smoothly laying his hand on the doorknob, he turned it slowly and opened the door. Tifa slept comfortably in her bed, sound asleep, not aware that Cloud was watching her.

Cloud tip-toed to her bedside and knelt down beside her. He just gazed upon her face, watching her inhale and exhale. He saw her move a little. She was shivering the cold atmosphere in her room. Cloud noticed that her sheets were down at her waist. He grabbed the sheets and softly pulled them over the sleeping beauty. As his hand stopped near her chin, he hesitated at first, but then dared to move a lock of hair from her face.

This was enough to stir the sleeping Tifa. Cloud picked up on this. Quickly, but softly, he came to her door and got on the other side. Tifa opened one eye seeing the door close. Faintly, she saw a blonde spike in her line of vision before her door closed completely. She thought this strange at first, wondering what just happened. She then noticed that her sheets were pulled up over her. Looking back at the door, she realized that Cloud had been here. She laid her head back down on the pillow, a smile appearing on her lips as she closed her eyes. This smile remained on her face even when she fell asleep again.

* * *

A/N: W00t! Finally done. Sorry for not updating last night. I was partying with my friends cause it was my best friends last night to hang out with us until he moves. I got home really late and just wanted to go to sleep. Well, what do you guys think of the chapter? R&R please! 


	5. Chapter 5: On the Move

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 5: On the Move**

The constant buzzing of Tifa's alarm clock eventually woke her up. Without opening her eyes, her hand frantically searched for the off button. After much flailing she finally managed to stop the noise. She lifted her head up, still feeling rather sleepy. Her eyes were half open. She was searching to room. The reason for this she didn't really know herself. Soon, she remembered her little visit last night. It all came back to her. Cloud had been in her room, watching her sleep. She could remember exactly how his touch felt when his fingertips came across her face. A thousand battles could never scar his soft hands. The tingling her skin felt was overcoming her again as it did the night before. In a hurry she got up, throwing the covers off of her as quickly as she could. She looked out her window, hearing noises coming from Cloud's Fenrir.

Tifa watched him work on improving his bike. She smiled warmly. _I think this is it. If there ever was a perfect time, it has to be now._ She quickly got dressed, the smile still resting on her lips. Before leaving the room, she fixed her hair a little bit; not that she really needed to, but, better safe than sorry. After almost running down the stairs, she saw the kids at the kitchen table…. eating breakfast. There was definitely something off here. Usually the kids had to wake her up with the jaws of life to eat.

"Now this is rare." she said. "Usually you two can't survive until I wake up."

"Cloud made breakfast for us!" Marlene was very excited about this sudden change in Cloud. He had never gotten up early enough for breakfast before. Cooking it was definitely a sign.

"Yeah! He's really good, Tifa. Have some!" Denzel was very happy to have his hero back.

Tifa giggled at the children's enthusiasm. "That's ok. I'm not very hungry. Is Cloud still outside?"

"Yeah." Marlene continued. "He's been outside since we started eating."

Tifa nodded in response, making her way out the door to talk to Cloud. The children giggled, noticing that Tifa was a lot happier than she was the day before.

She stopped beside Cloud, who was under his motorcycle, tuning up its engine. Tifa bent down with a smile on her face, waiting for Cloud to see her. Unfortunately, he didn't pick up on her presence, so she decided to talk first.

"You know, if you wanted to talk to me last night, you could have." Cloud stuck his head out and finally saw Tifa there. She winked at him, making him feel very nervous. He tried to keep his cool as he kept working on his Fenrir.

"I didn't want to disturb you. You were quite peaceful in your sleep." He looked back up at her. Tifa still had the same smile on her face. "Plus, I thought you were still mad at me."

Tifa's smile vanished as she recalled the events that took place yesterday. She straightened herself and went back to the steps to have a seat. "Listen…" she responded. "About that…"

"I'm sorry." Cloud said it first. He had every right to be sorry, after all it was him who screwed up Denzel's special day. "I shouldn't have forgotten his birthday." He stopped working for a minute to come out from underneath his bike to talk to Tifa face to face. He looked into her brown eyes as he continued. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to get along with. But… thanks for sticking with me Tifa. It really means a lot to me." Tifa's face started to grow red as she tried to hide it by looking down.

"It's no big deal. I know it must be hard for you, adjusting to a normal life and all."

"That's no excuse. I hurt you and the kids too much. I promise to change though. I'll try my damndest to never be stupid again." She looked back at him, and what she saw was something she could stare at all day. Cloud was smiling at her, his blue eyes staring right through her. Tifa was a little nervous of this new side of Cloud. She was finally able to welcome it by smiling back at him.

"I'll make sure you do that." she responded. Cloud chuckled a little while getting up off the ground. He mounted his Fenrir and was about to start the engine when Tifa stopped him. "You going away?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Just to make a quick delivery. I'll be back in a few hours, then we can all go to the park for Denzel's birthday."

Tifa finally remembered the promise Cloud made to the boy yesterday. "Well…. how about I go with you?"

Cloud looked at Tifa with a confused face. "Huh?"

"Yeah. It'll be a great way to catch some fresh air. I've been cooped up in the bar for so long that I think a little drive will do some good." She turned around to the neighbors house to ask them to watch Denzel and Marlene for a few hours while she was gone. Cloud called out to her before she got too far.

"Tifa, I appreciate you wanting to spend some time with me, but I don't…"

Tifa immediately turned around and grasped Cloud's hand that rested on the throttle of his motorcycle. She looked at him with a crooked smile and very serious eyes. "Mr. Strife, I have been locked in this bar for over a month with two hyperactive children, while you get to spend countless hours away and come home when said children and relatively calm. Not to mention the various stinking, womanizing, and drunk men that I have to throw out. I'm cranky and going out of my mind." Cloud began to notice that her squeeze was getting tighter with each word she spoke, to the point that it was really starting to hurt. "You will either take me on this trip with you, or neither of us will go." That smile was still on her face as her squeeze became tighter.

"Ummm…. maybe you should tell the kids before we actually go." Cloud managed to speak.

"Perfect! Just give me a few minutes to get ready, ok?" Tifa walked back into the house. Cloud took his hand off the throttle and shook his hurting hand. "Damn. I gotta remember never to say 'no' to her again."

Cloud decided to go inside after about ten minutes to say goodbye to the kids himself. Fist he hugged Marlene. "Come back soon, ok Cloud?" Cloud nodded to her. "I will. Don't worry." Next, he came to Denzel, who still had his head down after Cloud told them he was leaving.

Cloud got down on one knee to be on eye level with the brown-haired boy. "I'll only be gone for a few hours. When I get back, we'll all go out and enjoy the day." He put a hand on Denzel's shoulder, trying to comfort the boy. Denzel couldn't hold himself back as he lunged forward and hugged Cloud. This surprised Cloud at first, but he soon wrapped his arms around the boy.

"You promise?" Denzel wanted to be sure Cloud would keep his word this time.

"I promise." Cloud responded.

Tifa had just come downstairs when she saw Cloud holding Denzel. She stopped herself from going any further. She admired the sight of Cloud acting like a father to Denzel, just as she had always been like the boy's mother. Small tears started to form in her eyes as a warm smile formed on her lips. Before Cloud let go of Denzel, she realized that she was starting to cry and quickly wiped her tears away before anyone noticed. Cloud looked back at Tifa. "Ready to go?" he asked. She nodded before saying her goodbyes to the kids and telling them to be good while she and Cloud were gone. After saying their goodbyes, Cloud and Tifa mounted his Fenrir and rode off down the road on their way to Kalm.

---

The pair had remained silent for most of the trip. It wasn't turning out exactly like she expected, but Tifa figured that it was at least better than waiting for Cloud to come home. Even if she did try to talk, Cloud probably wouldn't have been able to hear her. The roar of Fenrir's engine was enough to drown out a baby's cry for attention. The wind blew Tifa's hair in every direction. However, it would have been much worse if her hair was still as long as it once was. She remembered how hard to was to keep after her flowing locks. Nowadays it wasn't too difficult a task. She had mainly cut her hair to see if Cloud would notice a difference in her appearance. As with a typical guy, and also due to his self-loathing period, Cloud didn't notice. In the aftermath of the battle with Kadaj, Cloud finally said that it was a good look for her. That was enough to make Tifa's day.

It wasn't long before Tifa realized that she didn't know where Cloud was going. The main reason she had come on this trip was to be with Cloud. And…. to find some way to tell him how she really felt about him. "Hey Cloud, you never did tell me where we were going today. Where are you delivering this package to?"

Cloud remained silent for a few seconds. He turned his head slightly toward Tifa while still keeping his eyes on the road. "That's why I was hesitant to take you at first. We're going to Nibelheim."

Tifa's face went to complete shock. "Oh…" was all she managed to say. She hadn't expected to be returning to Nibelheim so soon. That place held very tragic memories for her mind. She could almost feel the heat of the flames on her face while she was thinking about it. Cloud noticed this sudden change in attitude.

"Are you sure you still want to go? I can turn back and take you home if you want."

Tifa was pulled out of her thoughts by Cloud's question. She shook her head in response. "I'll be ok as long as I have you with me." She meant this as more than just their little trip. At first, Cloud thought that she did mean more that just this trip. However, he put the thought out of his mind. _It's so hard to read her sometimes._

Tifa then rested her head on Cloud's back. Her ear was pressed so close that she could hear his heartbeat. It helped to soothe her, making her feel more peaceful being with Cloud. She tightened her grip around his waist, holding him closer to her. Cloud noticed this, but tried to stay focused on the road. However, a small smile formed on his lips after Tifa held him tighter. Cloud pulled back the throttle more to speed up the bike.

After nearly an hour and a half, they finally arrived in Kalm. Cloud parked the Fenrir outside the city. He was about to get off the bike, but he soon noticed that Tifa was still holding onto him. She had fallen asleep on the way. Cloud smiled and chuckled a little as he took her arms off of him and picked her up in his arms. Her head rested easily against his chest. Cloud stared at her again, feeling much closer to her than he did last night while he watched her sleep. Without a word, he carried her into the city to the nearest hotel he could find. He purchased a room for two and carried her upstairs. After having some trouble opening the door, he placed Tifa on her bed and pulled the covers over her. She snuggled in her comfortable bed. The trip had really tired her out. Cloud moved hair out of her face again with his fingertips, smiling warmly at her before he turned to leave.

Cloud made his way through the streets of Kalm, trying to locate the bar. He noticed many shops with various items on his way. Some had weapons, others had materia, etc. After much traversing, he finally came upon the bar. Cloud entered through the door. The loud laughs or coughs of the drunks made Cloud annoyed; getting past them was even more annoying. Through some struggle, Cloud made it to the front of the bar, where a gentleman in a black coat waited for him. Cloud leaned over the counter and ordered a drink.

"Where's the package?" Cloud was abrupt and direct with this man. He wanted to end this job soon so he could get back to Tifa and the children.

The man in black took a small package from his cloak and handed it to Cloud. "You're here early. Got some other plans for the day?"

"Something like that. Tell your boss that I'm making the delivery today. I can't wait til tomorrow."

The man took a sip from his glass. "I'll be sure to let him know. He'll meet you at the front gate. By the way, here's half your pay." The man handed Cloud an envelope. Cloud took the envelope and opened it. His eyes were wide when he saw how much was in there. It was more than his normal fee, and this was only half of his payment!

"Better get going if you want to make it back home in time." The man took another sip from his glass as Cloud looked back at him. The ex-SOLDIER nodded before turning away from the man and exiting the bar.

Cloud went back to the hotel to check on Tifa. When he opened the door, she wasn't in her bed anymore. She was already awake and waiting for Cloud to get back. "Took you long enough." she said as he came in. Cloud was speechless at first, but finally chuckled after a few seconds.

"I didn't want to wake you while you were sleeping. You looked…. peaceful." Tifa giggled, her bright smile catching Cloud's eye. "I got the package. We can go ahead and leave." "Actually, Cloud…" Cloud had turned halfway before he heard Tifa speak.

"Yeah?"

"Come sit down for a second." She patted her hand on the bed next to her. Cloud walked to the bed and sat down. "Is there something wrong Tifa?"

"No. I just… wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

That was the hard part. Tifa's secret love for Cloud had been buried so deep inside her for so long, that just thinking about actually telling him was scary. What if he rejected her? What if things could never be the same again? _Is it worth it?_ That was the real question she needed to ask.

"Tifa? Tifa?" Cloud was worried about her. She had been silent for a few minutes. She finally came back to reality when she heard Cloud's voice. "Tifa, I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Cloud… I…"

Cloud was waiting for her response.

"I… I'm kinda tired. Can we stay for just one day here and leave tomorrow?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at her question. "But I promised Denzel we'd be back today."

"I know, but I just want to get some sleep. Don't worry about Denzel. I'll call him and explain the situation. I'm sorry Cloud, I just need some sleep." Cloud was really worried about Tifa. She had never acted like this before. Cloud got off the bed and got down on one knee in front of Tifa. He took her hand in his as his blue eyes gazed into her brown eyes.

"Tifa. You know you can tell me anything, right?" She almost looked away from him. But, for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so sincere to her now, for the first time in a very long time. "If you need to say something, then say it." There was that direct nature of Cloud's again. Tifa felt a bit pressured by it and decided to further put off what she really wanted to say. "I'll tell you later. Just get some sleep for now, Cloud." She put a fake smile on, trying to show Cloud that she was ok when in fact she really wasn't. Cloud didn't pick up on this though, and totally fell for her fake smile. "Ok. Here." he handed her his cell phone. "Go ahead and call Denzel. I'm kinda tired too so I'll go ahead and get some sleep." "Ok." Before Cloud got up, he was still holding her hand. She looked at him again, and saw his warm smile. Tifa then smiled back at him, this time with a sincere smile. Cloud then got up and went to his bed for some sleep. Tifa called Denzel after he went to sleep. The boy completely understood Tifa's situation, not wanting her to get sick or anything, and told her to get some rest. After ending the call, Tifa placed Cloud's phone on his nightstand. She then noticed that Cloud had quickly fallen asleep. Taking this opportunity, she placed a warm hand on Cloud's cheek, moving some of his blonde locks away from his eyes. She smiled warmly again before getting in her own bed and falling asleep.

The next morning, the pair were up bright and early, ready to make their journey to Nibelheim. They spoke no very important words, other than "Good morning" and "Sleep well?". They ate breakfast that the hotel provided, then made their way back to Cloud's Fenrir. After mounting the bike, Tifa held onto Cloud's waist tightly as they rode off.

From the distance, the man in black watched the two leave. A small smirk came on his face as he pulled out his cell phone. After dialing the necessary numbers, he put the phone to his ear as the second party answered the phone. "He's on the move."

"Follow him."

The man ended the call after that. He pulled out his own motorcycle he kept hidden and was soon hot on Cloud and Tifa's trail.

A/N: And so it begins! Had you guys goin for a while that Tifa would finally say something, eh? That will come in time, faithful readers. This is where the action part of the Action/Adventure category will finally pick up. I'm very much looking forward to the future chapters. I'll most likely be able to update tomorrow so be ready for a new chapter pretty soon. R&R please!


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

A/N: I figured I'd do this ahead of time for a change. I just want to thank all my reviewers for telling me how much they like the story and wish to see it continue, for I would have stopped long ago if not for you guys. And making an announcement, I will be gone for about two weeks. My sister is getting married very soon and the wedding is in Kentucky. As far as I know I won't be near a computer to update as often as I have been. But rest assured that while I am gone, I will be writing chapters. So when I get back, I'll have more than one chapter for you all to read ! Well, here's the latest installment in my story. Enjoy!

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 6: Reunion**

The trip to Nibelheim had taken much longer than expected. The road had more monsters in the fields than Cloud remembered. This caused him to spend much time either fighting them off or hiding until the coast was clear. Soon, they made it past the dangerous places and were back on the road. Tifa was starting to realize why Cloud wanted her to stay home. Also, Tifa hadn't been to Nibelheim in well over seven years, and her last memory of it wasn't cherished. However, she wanted to make an effort to spend time with Cloud, not to mention sit him down and talked to him about, well, them. She gritted her teeth and told herself to suck it up as Cloud accelerated down the road.

After nearly two hours of silence, Tifa couldn't take it anymore, and decided to go ahead and be out with it. _Guess now's a better time than never._

"Cloud!"

Cloud almost didn't hear her, and wasn't so sure that she did speak. The engines were so loud that he didn't know if it was a bird or something else. While Tifa said his name, she also tapped him on the shoulder. Cloud responded to this and turned his head slightly.

"Yeah?"

"I… I need to tell you something."

"What!" Cloud still couldn't hear her.

Tifa rolled her eyes before trying again. "I said that I need to tell you something!"

After she said this, Cloud had passed a small forest on their right. As soon as they were a good distance away, two riders on motorcycles pulled out of the forest. Soon, they were joined by the man in the black cloak from the bar in Kalm. He stopped right in the middle of the two. After exchanging glances with them, he got on his cell phone. "We're about ten minutes from where you are."

"Are they ahead of you?"

"Yes."

"Spring the trap then." After that, the other caller hung up.

"You heard 'im." The man answered. After reving their engines, the three took off at full speed toward Cloud and Tifa.

---

"What do you need to tell me, Tifa?"

Tifa took a moment to actually think about what she was going to say. _Just go with it. Say anything!_ Cloud was starting to get confused. First she was saying she had something to tell him, now she wasn't talking at all.

_Is she just messing with me?_

"Well… we've been friends for a while, right?"

Cloud just arched an eyebrow at this question. "Yeah…" was all he could answer, still confused at what she was trying to get at. "… since we were kids I guess. I mean… well, we didn't talk much as kids and didn't really get to know each other until I turned up after seven years. But, I like to think that we've been friends since childhood."

"Sure." Tifa responded. "Well, you know that when you left to join SOLDIER, I started to think about you a lot, wondering if you were doing well. I checked the paper everyday."

"Right." Cloud knew she had done this. She told him herself when he first joined Avalanche.

"Well…"

This was the big one now. Was she really ready to tell Cloud? Tifa had always had problems with expressing her feelings. She never chose to let other people in, not until it was really necessary, if that would be the word for it. Unlike Aeris, who wore her very heart on her sleeve, Tifa was afraid of rejection. The pain of unrequited love was usually to much pain to bear. But, the pain of not telling Cloud had an equal affliction on her heart. She came to the conclusion before they left that it was better to get it out in the open and let him know rather than always wondering "what if?".

As she contemplated, Cloud was doing his normal driving duties, looking in both directions, and using his side mirrors. However, when he looked at his right mirror, he noticed a dot coming in fast on them. He soon saw that the dot was a person, and that person was followed by two others. They pulled out their weapons, two with guns, and a black cloaked man with a club.

"Cloud…. I…." she groaned to herself before finally having the courage to say it. "Cloud, I lo…"

She was cut off by the sound of a shooting gun and the sudden jerk of Cloud's bike. He had made a hard pull to the right, avoiding the bullet that was meant for them. "Hold on, Tifa!" He sped up the bike as fast as he could, trying to put some distance between him and their pursuers. However, they soon caught up to him, still firing away at him and Tifa. Cloud then opened the secret compartments of his bike, and pulled out the base sword of the First Sword. He switched it to its battle mode and started to deflect bullets coming their way. Tifa found it hard to hang on while Cloud was moving so much, but she tightened her grip on Cloud as hard as she could, all the while trying to make sure she didn't suffocate him.

The man with the club pulled up beside Cloud and started swinging his weapon at Cloud's head. The ex-SOLDIER ducked and dodged the first few swings before kicking the man's bike away from him. Cloud then pulled to the right again very swiftly. He looked ahead, barely able to make out their safe haven: Nibelheim.

"We're almost there, Tif! Just hang on!" Cloud then pulled back the throttle as hard as he could, making the bike jerk before speeding off. He continued to deflect bullets with his sword, all the while dodging the club swings. Tifa finally lent a helping hand after the man swung his club again by kicking the weapon away. She then used Cloud as a base to spin her body around and use her other leg to kick the man across the face, sending him off in another direction. She spun her body back into place behind Cloud and holding onto Cloud again.

"Nice one!" Cloud complimented. They were just mere seconds away from Nibelheim. _Almost there!_ The other two goons were far behind them, missing the Fenrir every time they shot at it. Cloud didn't even have to deflect the bullets anymore. They were home free!

As Cloud smiled at their victory, he noticed that the front gates were opening. He couldn't see anything beyond that, not until the gates opened completely. He then saw a group of people, composed of a man about Cloud's height with spiked black hair, a large man, and two grunts. Cloud didn't know who they were, so he tried to stop in a hurry by turning his bike on its side and making it skid against the dirt road. However, an imbalance was created by doing this so fast. Because of this, he and Tifa were thrown from the bike. The crowd in front of them parted as the bike skid right past them, followed by a tumbling Cloud and Tifa. The two finally stopped after much hard rolling a few yards away from the crowd that blocked the front entrance. Cloud was the first to finally start moving, albeit very slow and stumbled. He managed to make it to his feet, though falling to one knee again. Noticing Tifa wasn't moving at all, Cloud made his way to her. He held her in his arms with his hand behind her head, holding her head up to stir her.

"Tifa! Tifa, wake up!" He shook her mildly, trying hard not to cause her more pain than she was probably already in. "Tifa!" Her eyes finally started moving as she heard her name called for a third time. They opened slowly as their gaze fell on Cloud's blue eyes. They were filled with relief when she fully opened her eyes. "Tifa, are you alright?"

"Ugh… I think so." She put a hand to her head as she rubbed it to get rid of the massive headache she had. She slowly pulled herself out of Cloud's arms when she laid her hand on the ground to prop herself up. She looked around, familiarizing herself with her old town. Eventually, she and Cloud both noticed that this was a complete ghost town. No one walking the streets or in their houses. She and Cloud eventually got to their feet, still aching from their tumble.

"Where is everyone? This whole town is empty." said Tifa.

"I don't know." Cloud was very confused by this. If there was no one here in Nibelheim, then who called him to deliver a package?

The crowd who had made them fall off the bike before was now making their way toward the pair. Cloud brought his sword up with both hands while Tifa balled up her fists in a fighting position. The man in the center of the crowd, with the spiked hair, smiled at the pair. He then waved his hand around three times, signaling other people in the town to come together and surround the two. They numbered somewhere between thirteen and fifteen. While this was not too large, it was certainly more than Cloud and Tifa were ready for. Most were armed with guns, while others had various weapons such as steel pipes, hammers, axes, etc.

The boss of the group, with the black spiked hair, brought out a massive, double-edged sword with his right hand. He rested the tip of the sword on the ground, still smiling at Cloud. "You finally showed up." He said. It didn't take Cloud long to deduce that this guy was the one who made the call. His eyes were fierce as was his expression at this crazed man.

"What do you want with me?" Cloud exclaimed.

The man simply started to chuckle while he placed his left hand on his head. He then brought his gaze back to Cloud, his brown eyes somehow glowing a hint of green. Cloud immediately noticed this and started fearing the worst.

"It's been a while… hasn't it, Cloud?"

Cloud didn't know what he meant by that. They had just met and this man was talking as if he had known Cloud before. He didn't have time to dwell on this however, for soon he saw the boss running at him while dragging his sword on the ground. Cloud gripped his sword tighter as he prepared to fight.


	7. Chapter 7: The Struggle Begins

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

A/N: Surprise! Since I am leaving very soon, I thought I should give you all as many chapters as I can. For those who speculate the identity of the villain… well, just wait and see if you are right :p lol. Rest assured that the action will be picking up a lot in the next chapters. Well, enjoy! And just to let you know that the italics in the beginning paragraph are flashbacks.

Notice: This is an updated version. I read the reviews saying that I made Zetrion too strong. And after looking it over I realize that I did. I never meant to make him that strong, I just got caught up in the moment lol. I made changes to have Cloud on level with Zetrion and not appear weaker to him. Sorry for the godmodding of Zetrion and please enjoy this updated version.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 7: The Struggle Begins**

_The new recruits for SOLDIER stood side by side as the recruiting officer went down the line. He eyed every single recruit. Some didn't make eye contact with him. Others, the unfortunate ones, did make eye contact as he stared at them, and nearly shat their pants. Cloud was one of his victims. The blonde had left Nibelheim a few days ago, and was already starting to miss everyone, especially Tifa. If not for her, he wouldn't be in line with the other recruits. The officer passed Cloud and came to the black haired individual next to him. His hair was spiked, as was Cloud's, but was much shorter than Cloud's, just a few inches short of a military cut, and instead of going in all different directions, his hair only went up. The recruit officer stared him down as well, but this kid wouldn't break his focus off of the wall behind the officer. The officer smirked before moving on. He started making his speech about how he was now their God and how their lives would from now on be a living hell, standard military speech for the enthusiast. The black haired individual looked over at Cloud, who had lowered his head. He felt sorry for the young boy, though he had no right to call him that since they were the same age. "Crazy guys, eh? You think they do that for all the recruits?" Cloud smiled and chuckled lowly as to not get the officer's attention. "Probably. It's most likely the same routine every year." They both chuckled again before the black haired boy extended his hand to Cloud. "I'm Zetrion." Cloud took his hand and shook it. "Cloud."_

Cloud raised his sword in time to block the attack, sparks letting loose from the clash of the two blades. Both men pushed with all their strength to overcome the other, even though the boss wasn't gritting his teeth. He merely smiled. Cloud now had a closer look at the man's eyes and saw that they did indeed glow a green color despite being naturally brown. That, in Cloud's experience, could mean only one thing.

"So… you've been given mako treatments, haven't you?"

The man laughed at Cloud's discovery. "Bingo. That sure didn't take you long."

The man then broke their struggle and leapt in the air before trying to bring his sword crashing onto Cloud. The blonde saw this trick happen and quickly rolled out of the way, making the man's sword miss him, but crushing the ground beneath it. He and Cloud then went at it, exchanging sword blows and blocks. They even started jumping off of the nearby houses to add speed and power to their attacks. They became blade locked in midair, somehow managing to stay afloat until they pushed off of each other, landing on their feet, and resuming the fight on the ground.

Tifa, on the other hand, didn't have it as easy to fight one opponent. She had to deal with the rest of the gang, all armed with weapons, most had guns. As soon as they got the chance, they began to shoot at her. Tifa danced for a while, avoiding as many bullets as she could before deciding to run to a nearby house for cover. She dove through the front window, rolling upon impact when she hit the wooden floor inside. She didn't have a scratch on her, despite the window being glass. She laid low for a few minutes as the gang kept shooting the house. Tifa would have to find a way to escape their fire and take them out one by one. The men kept firing, shattering the glass windows and putting holes in the outside walls. Their fire finally ceased after a few minutes, due to the fact that they were all out of clips. Silence, other than the sounds of battle from Cloud and the boss, swept over them. Suddenly, the front door opened very slowly. The men armed their guns, though it wouldn't do them much good. Soon, they were at ease when they saw the door open completely, with nothing standing in it. They thought they had finally done Tifa in.

Just then, something was launched out of a broken window. It was a frying pan that hit one gang member in the head and knocking him to the ground. Next was a pot that hit another enemy, then last were several pots and pans thrown at other enemies. Some hit them, some completely missed. While they were distracted, Tifa ran out through the front door. When one of the men noticed her finally, he was silenced by a hard punch to the jaw. He immediately hit the floor as the other men tried to pick up where he left off. Tifa blocked punches from two directions and kicked one enemy away, while grabbing the other man's arm with her free hand and throwing him over her body and straight to the dirt. When another threw a flurry of punches at her, she dodged every one of them with great ease, and caught his last punch with her bare hand. She squeezed his fist, making him scream in pain as she brought him to one knee before finishing him with a kick to the face. Four down and only seven more to go. Tifa got into a fighting stance when all of them stood in front of her. She motioned the 'bring it' sign with her hand, and they got the hint and brought the battle to her.

Cloud was knocked on his back again, but he rolled out of the way of the boss' oncoming sword. Cloud got back to his feet and tried to hack the man's head off, but the agility of this man outmatched Cloud's as he easily dodged the sword. On the rebound, Cloud then swung his sword back towards the boss' way. The boss brought up his own sword to block the attack.

"Hehe." The man chuckled. "Are you sure you're the 'hero' who killed Sephiroth?"

His taunts angered Cloud. It reminded him of when Sephiroth would use words to bring Cloud down. The proved to anger Cloud so much that he got enough strength to push the man back and swung his sword wildly, trying to hack him to pieces. The man blocked all attacks with his sword, the smile leaving his face as now he had some difficulty keeping up with Cloud. After exchanging many attacks, Cloud spun around to add momentum to his lower attack, aimed to cut the man's feet off. The man backflipped away and landed on top of a house. The two stared each other down, the man smiling once again.

Tifa ducked from an incoming kick. She then kicked the man who was now behind her and knocked him down. The next man who came after her was flipped onto his back and then knocked out cold by a chop to the neck. Getting to her feet in time, she dodged blow after blow from him until catching his hand by the wrist and kicking him in the stomach three times before positioning her leg above his neck and bringing it down with enough force to knock him out. After he hit the floor, she swung her foot around to connect the heel to the jaw of another individual, and he joined his friends in dreamland. That now left three more. Tifa ran at them high speed and delivered a flying kick to one of the man's chest. His unconscious body hit the ground hard. She then performed a side flip in front of the last two, who were an equal distance apart. Her feet latched onto one man's head, while the other was underneath her arm. She used her free fist to punch him in the face, then rotated her body to flip both of them over and onto the ground. Tifa got to her feet and looked around. All the men lied unconscious at her feet. Tifa smiled and dusted her hands and arms off.

"Who are you?" Cloud wanted to end this game.

"Ohh. You've forgotten me already?" Some would think that this man had a hint of sadness in his voice. "Hmm. That's too bad."

"What are you talking about? I've never met you before in my life!" Cloud would admit that this menace reminded him of Zack, but it clearly wasn't him. Zack was much taller, and his hair was longer as well.

"Oh really? So sure of yourself. Hehe, not at all like you were during recruiting."

Cloud's eyes went wide at the mention of that event. The event itself was very fuzzy for Cloud, seeing as how not all the memories of his "SOLDIER days" were actually his. But one thing he does recall was the day he joined with the potential recruits. He nearly shat himself from one look of the recruit officer. But everything else was still a blur. "How do you know about that?" Cloud questioned the man. "Who are you?"

"My name is Zetrion. For now, that's all I'll tell you." Zetrion armed his sword with both hands again as he leapt off the roof of the house. Cloud jumped from his position as well. Both men clashed in the air, their swords going back and forth as each strike was more powerful as the one before it. Cloud deflected Zetrion's next attack and tackled him straight down. Cloud managed to take him all the way to the ground and even further. The ground was cracked upon impact. As the dust settled, Cloud instantly jumped out of the cracked area and landed on his feet. He dusted himself off, believing he had finished off his foe. Tifa walked up next to him, her hands at her hips and an eyebrow raised. "You just love showing off, don't you?"

"At least I put him down."

Just as they were about to turn and leave, the ground started to rumble where Zetrion was. He stood to his feet, a little phased from the impact.. He dusted his arms off, next his chest. He climbed out of the area and made his way toward Cloud. "Hmm. That was impressive." He put his hand on his back. "I'll definitely be feeling that the next morning. You're certainly stronger than you look." He then gripped his sword tightly and ran at his foe. "But so am I!" He dashed towards Cloud, aiming to cut him in half. The blonde swordsman raised his sword in time to block the attack, but the force of Zetrion's strength sent them back a ways from Tifa. They continued their fight while she merely watched.

Just then, a large, dark skinned man came up behind Tifa. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. As she turned around, she was hit by a large fist in the stomach. Well, it actually almost hit her entire torso. She flew back from the strength of the blow, just barely managing to regain control of herself and land on her feet, though she skid back a few feet before stopping. She looked up at her attacker, and saw the large man. He clearly towered over Tifa. She wasn't afraid however. She had beaten big men before, and he was just another one to add to the list. She couldn't deny however, that the punch from the big guy had hurt. A lot. She gritted her teeth and ran at the guy. She went full force on him, throwing a combination of punches and kicks anywhere she could. He had managed to block most of the blows. He couldn't dodge because his large size decreased his speed greatly. Tifa knew this and decided to capitalize on it. She rolled underneath his legs when he tried to grab her. She then jumped in the air and delivered a spin kick to his back. The man lost balance, but quickly regained himself long enough to turn around, and regretted doing so in the process. Tifa was punching him furiously, using her Beat Rush attack which added much strength to her. The man was knocked back by her strength, and was then met by a kick to the chin.

Cloud locked blades with Zetrion again, both men pushing with all their strength. Zetrion just smiled as Cloud gritted his teeth.

"What happened to all the people here? Where are they?"

"Oh them? Well…. I killed them." Zetrion chuckled as Cloud's eyes became filled with horror.

"You… killed them? You bastard!"

Cloud broke the lock and swung his sword with all the strength he had. Zetrion parried all the attacks, not paying attention to how angry Cloud was. "They didn't deserve to die! What kind of sick freak are you!" Cloud raised his sword above his head and swung it down, aiming to cut Zetrion in half. The other swordsman raised his blade and blocked the sword. The smile from his face had disappeared, his eyes having a dark, serious tone.

"Me? Why Cloud, I'm the same as you. Just better. In fact…" He pushed Cloud's sword away and used a free hand to punch Cloud straight across the face. Cloud didn't brace himself for the impact, which caused his body to fly back and hit the ground, though not too far away from Zetrion. Cloud stumbled as he tried to prop himself up. He wiped the small trail of blood that leaked from the side of his mouth, which caused him to flinch from the pain he felt on his face.

"I'm just getting warmed up."


	8. Chapter 8: Remembering Old Days

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**A/N:** I'm baaaaaack! You guys miss me? Unfortunately, I don't have chapters just waiting to be uploaded cause I could never get any work done on this trip ;;. But, I will work twice as fast to give you all as many chapters as I can before I have to leave again. This time I'm moving to KY rather than just visiting. I'm pretty psyched about it. Well anyway, thanks for all your reviews. They have helped me a lot and make me a better writer. Hope you enjoy the latest installment!

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 8: Remembering Old Days**

_Cloud was sitting alone at the lunch table. It seemed that his social awkwardness had followed him from Nibelheim. As he sat alone while eating his lunch, Cloud began to think of everyone he knew. He missed his mother; but most of all, he missed Tifa. He had joined SOLDIER to earn her friendship. More importantly, he joined SOLDIER to win her affection, and to be a man Tifa could respect and love. The training was hard. Sometimes too hard. In his heart, Cloud wanted to just forget SOLDIER and go home. But the fear of facing Tifa as a failure scared him even more than his drill instructors. He would continue down his current path, no matter how hard it was. While Cloud was lost in his thoughts, Zetrion sat down in front of him. "Hey Cloud!" he said cheerfully. Cloud didn't hear him the first time. Zetrion waved his hand in front of Cloud's face to bring him back to reality. "Hellooo? Earth to Cloud." Cloud abruptly left his zombie-like state. At the first glance of Zetrion, Cloud jumped from being startled. He felt as if Zetrion had just appeared out of thin air. While Cloud was trying to catch his breathe, Zetrion chuckled. _

"_You ok man?" _

"_Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Heh, sorry. I guess I zoned out."_

"_What were you thinking about?"_

"_Oh. Well… not much really. Just my hometown. My mom. This… this girl I knew."_

_The mere mention of this girl caught Zetrion's attention immediately. "Ahh. Was this girl… your girlfriend?" He took a sip of his drink while keeping his eyes on Cloud._

_Cloud's face grew red. "N… no! No, it wasn't like that. She's just a frie… well… I guess we weren't really friends. I mean, I barely spoke to her." He started laughing to himself. "You know, I actually joined SOLDIER just so she would notice me. Never thought it would be this hard." Cloud drank some of his water. _

_Zetrion decided to change the subject. "So, uh, how did your exercises go?"_

_Cloud didn't want to think about that either. "Ugh. Horrible. My instructor wouldn't stop yelling at me. But, I think I'm getting better. How 'bout you?"_

"_Oh, it went well. I finished all my exercises with good timing. Some other guy blew us all away though."_

"_Who was he?"_

"_This guy with black hair like mine, 'cept it was longer. Really tall too. Well, taller than both of us at least. He'll no doubt make the cut."_

"_I'm just hoping this training doesn't kill me." Cloud sounded very depressed. He didn't believe that his skills were enough for the likes of SOLDIER. _

_Zetrion, the compassionate person he was, felt the pain that Cloud harbored in his heart. He tried to comfort Cloud as best he could. "Hey, cheer up man. It's only been a few weeks. I'm sure you'll show 'em what you're made of soon enough. You got potential, man, you just gotta unleash it, that's all. Give it time."_

_For some reason, Cloud found faith in Zetrion's words. Even though his hope was still faint, it seemed to be growing larger each day with Zetrion's help. Cloud let a faint smile escape his lips, a truly rare sight indeed. "Thanks, Zetrion. That means a lot to me." _

Cloud blocked another strike from Zetrion, though the impact of the defensive move brought pain to his arms. Zetrion's strength seemed like it had suddenly doubled. Not just his strength, but his speed and reflexes as well. It seemed clear that since the beginning of this fight, Zetrion had been holding back. But then again… so had Cloud.

The former SOLDIER pushed Zetrion back, making him lose his balance for just the split second Cloud needed to jump on his enemy's chest, and, forcing all power to his legs, pushed off of Zetrion's torso with enough force to make the crazed villain fly backwards, just far enough for Cloud to make a quick trip to his fallen Fenrir. Cloud wasted no time backtracking to his motorcycle and opening the secret cargo holders. With as much haste as possible, Cloud reached for his other swords to combine them with his bas sword. In under ten seconds, he had completed the transformation and now held his completed First Tsurugi.

However, before Cloud had time to get back to his fight with Zetrion, he was slammed by a force unlike any other from behind. He fell face down, which much pain coursing through his body. When he was able to move again, he felt something move off of his back. As he turned his head, he quickly recognized what had hit him.

"Having some trouble?" Cloud asked.

"Shut up." Tifa sharply replied. "This guy's tougher than he looks."

Tifa spoke of the behemoth of a man she was still fighting. He slowly walked towards Tifa, wanting to resume the brawl they had just started. He cracked the knuckles in his hands before letting out a scream whilst running towards Tifa. The dark-haired beauty sprung into the air as the giant came closer. With authority, she spin kicked her opponent across the face. The pain sent coursing through his face made his feet unsteady, giving Tifa more time to perform a flying kick on his torso and cause him to fall flat on his back. Tifa landed gracefully on the ground, turning her head to Cloud. "As soon as we take care of these guys, you owe me an explanation as to why the hell they're trying to kill us!"

"I would if I knew!"

Their little squable couldn't be resumed however as Zetrion unexpectedly appeared and tackled Cloud through the door of an empty house. Tifa had to focus on her own raging battle as well as the Golith-like individual nearly took her head clean off with a powerful clothesline. Tifa managed to duck in time and avoid this attack, and quickly countered with a powerful kick into the back of her enemy. However, her opponent swiftly faced her and grabbed her leg before she could connect the blow. His powerful grip became even tighter when he lifted her off of the ground and forcefully slammed her smaller frame onto the hard surface. He did this again and again until he finally threw her body out of his grip and onto the ground, watching her frame bounce up and down before finally coming to a halt. Tifa didn't want to move, her body was in so much pain. Her stubbornness won however as she slowly started to get back on her feet.

_Can I last long enough to beat him?_

Before they resumed, they heard the harsh sounds of metal clashing against metal, flesh against flesh, as the war inside that house was growing more fierce between Cloud and Zetrion. With one resounding fist crashing against a face, Zetrion's body broke through the glass of a window and plummeted into his partner's chest. The next body that came out was Cloud's, though he was in better condition than his opponent. When he looked up, he found Tifa, though she looked to be in much pain. He noticed that behind her, the gang members she had previously taken care of were about to wake up. They stirred, some of them even had theirs eyes open. Cloud knew that this was a battle they couldn't win for they were both greatly outnumbered again. Cloud ran to Tifa and grabbed her by the hand, forcing her to get up quickly and start running.

"Come on, Tif! We have to go!"

"Go where! We have no place to hide!"

Cloud searched the area for a convenient escape. The front entrance would only lead them back to the wilderness, and traversing those areas without transportation was not a very wise choice. Even if they could make it far, it wouldn't be long until Zetrion's gang caught up with them. There was only one way out.

"We'll head to the mansion! We can hide there for a while!" With there new destination set, Cloud and Tifa ran past their fallen enemies and towards the mansion. Zetrion and his lackey, Ox, got to their feet in time to see the pair running for the ShinRA mansion.

"Follow them!" the maniac screamed. Ox and the other gang members were hot on their trail as soon as the order was given.

Cloud kicked the front door down, not having the time to stop for a breather. He remembered exactly where they needed to go. Swiftly, they both raced up the stairs and to the bookcase which held the secret stairway. Cloud pulled the right book and the door opened for them. "Come on!" Cloud ushered as he picked her up in his arms, not giving her time to question him. Without hesitation, Cloud jumped off the ledge and fell straight down. Burying her head in Cloud's chest, Tifa screamed from the moment Cloud jumped, and kept screaming the further they went down. In a matter of seconds, Cloud landed on his feet on the steady ground beneath him. Tifa however did not cease her screaming until she realized that the wind was no longer rushing against her face. She looked up from Cloud's chest and saw the familiar dark tunnel in front of them. Cloud set her down and took her hand again before pressing onward. They came to the secret laboratory of Dr. Hojo and locked the door behind them. Cloud scoured the room to search for something. Tifa just stood still, watching Cloud as he searched every area of the wall.

"What are you looking for?" she exclaimed. "There's no way out and they're almost here!"

Cloud paid no attention to her as he kept searching the wall. He searched for something he thought was out of place. He then came upon empty crates against the wall. Smiling as if he had just struck gold, Cloud moved the crates out of the way to reveal what he had come for: another escape route. "This tunnel leads straight into the mountains. From there we can make our way out and get back home."

"How did you know about this?"

"Zack and I used this when we broke out. As far as I know, no one else knows about it. Come on, we have to go now."

Cloud took Tifa's hand again and led her inside the tunnel. They walked for several minutes, both feeling rather claustrophobic from the lack of space. But they had no time to think about that now. The only thing on their minds was getting as far away from Zetrion and his gang as possible. Escape was the only option.


	9. Chapter 9: A New Hunter for Old Prey

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

**A/N:** Well, I got some positive feedback from the last chapter. I'm very pleased about that, and would like to thank all of my reviewers who have continued to support me throughout this story. I realize that the last chapter was a little short, and I apologize for this. The reason being is that I rushed through this chapter to give you all something of an update. I'm now running into the part of the story that requires A LOT of thinking about what I exactly want to happen. I have a summary in my head, now I just need to work out the details. Thank you all for being patient, and I hope you enjoy this latest update! Oh by the way, I'm going to be writing a new fanfic for FFVII. The movie "Tristan + Isolde" has inspired me to write a fanfic based on it. The story will involve Cloud and Aeris (gasp But why! No need to worry, all will be revealed.) and will respectively be called "Cloud + Aeris". Look for the first chapter pretty soon.

**Final Fantasy VII: Sin's Past**

**Chapter 9: Finding New Prey**

_Cloud walked down the long hallway of the dorms, the sound of his boots clanging on the metal floor echoing from the walls. He had made a new friend in training today: a fellow by the name of Zack. He was a dark, spiky haired individual; tall as well. In fact, it was the same guy Zetrion was talking about. Cloud was lost in his thoughts as Zetrion came up to him from nearly out of no where. _

"_Hey, Cloud!"_

_Cloud was brought back to reality by the echo of Zetrion's voice. "Oh hey. What's up man?"_

"_Not much. I just got done with morning exercises. How did yours go?"_

"_Pretty well actually. I certainly did better than the last time we talked about it. Where are you headed?"_

"_They're doing psychological tests soon, and I'm one of the first to undergo that training. It should be pretty simple though. I had a pretty good life; I got nothing to hide."_

"_Well, I hope that goes well for you. I only wish I had that much confidence."_

_Zetrion put a hand on Cloud's shoulder, trying once again to cheer his friend up. "I'm sure you'll do good man. Just have a clear head and think happy thoughts! Man that sounded really retarded."_

_Cloud let out a good, happy laugh at Zetrion's attempt to act like a Peter Pan wannabe. He was beginning to really appreciate the friendship Zetrion had extended to him. Even from the first day, Zetrion had nothing but happy thoughts and support to pass on to Cloud. "Hey, Zetrion."_

"_Hm? What is it?"_

"_I…I just want to say thank. Thanks for being a good friend and helping to cheer me up. It really means a lot to me."_

"_Heh, don't go gettin' all soft on me. But, you're welcome, Cloud."_

_They were both silent. "Well, I better go. I'm meeting someone to hang out. I'll talk to you later. Good luck on your test."_

"_Thanks, Cloud. Catch ya later!"_

Denzel was sleeping, as was Marlene in the bed next to him. They were still in their own house, but the neighbor was with them. She was worried however. Cloud and Tifa said they would be back by today, and they were late by a couple hours. She checked her watch again to make sure it wasn't slow. Sadly however, it wasn't. Still 1:35 on the dot. Marian (the neighbor) decided to go check on the children. She made the mistake last night of letting the children stay up. In her old age, it was hard for her to keep up after them. Though it took some effort on her part, Marian finally made it up the stairs and silently opened the children's room door. They were still asleep, but it would only be a matter of time before they were awake again. She closed the door just as quietly as she had opened it. Being as careful as ever not to slip, she made it back downstairs for a glass of water. During this time, she picked up the phone to get in touch with Cloud. She grabbed the piece of paper with Cloud's cell phone number that hung on the refrigerator door. She pressed the seven digits and put the phone to her ear.

By the fourth ring, Marian was getting worried. After the fifth, Cloud's voicemail was activated. "Hey, this is Cloud Strife. Leave a message." Marian didn't give the voicemail a chance to beep because she had quickly ended the call. She set the phone down on the counter top and sat back down in her comfortable chair.

_Cloud... Tifa… Where are you?_

---

Cloud and Tifa hadn't stopped running down this tunnel since they had first found it. Neither of them knew how far behind their enemies were, but they sure weren't about to stop to find out. Cloud's strength was almost unfading. Tifa however, was beginning to become tired. She had been running so much after a tough fight that it nearly took all her energy away. Soon, they both received a blessing, and a curse, when they came to a fork in the tunnel.

"Oh man." Tifa managed to let out between breathes. "Where do we go?"

"This way." Cloud pointed down the left tunnel.

"How are you sure?"

Cloud looked at her with a serious face. Tifa then remembered that Cloud had been down this tunnel before, and remembered where he was going. She just nodded as Cloud continued on pulled her by the hand down the left tunnel.

---

The gang had busted through the door by the time Cloud and Tifa were gone. They didn't notice the tunnel immediately, and started searching the room very closely. They found no trace of the two escapees, and couldn't possibly comprehend how they could have escaped. Zetrion walked right past his foolish team and went straight for the tunnel. He stopped right in front of it, just staring into the darkness, taking it in with his eyes. Ox came up behind him, staring into the same darkness.

"They went this way."

Ox nodded his head, agreeing with his leader.

"They expect us to follow."

Ox was confused. "You mean we're not?"

Zetrion smiled as he continued gazing into the black abyss. One thing he knew to do was plan ahead. And he knew something Cloud and Tifa didn't.

"They won't get far. Cloud thinks he's the only one who knows…"

---

The pair had gone no further than a few feet before they were at a dead end. A recently made dead end at that. Rocks were piled on top of each other, preventing them from going any further. In the amount of time it would take to move the rocks, they would be cut off by their attackers.

"What! No… no! Damn it!" Cloud hit his fist against the wall, venting out his anger that Zetrion was anticipating them going this way. "How did he know!"

Tifa couldn't think of anything to say to comfort Cloud. She knew that it wasn't ok. Nothing was ok right now. But, she also knew that they couldn't afford to stand around for too long. "Come on, Cloud. Let's find another way."

The two backtracked the short ways they had gone and went down the other tunnel. "We should be fine." Tifa said. "That way probably could have gotten us out faster, but we can get out going this way too. Remember? I used to navigate these mountains for a living. They don't know the terrain here. I do."

"I hope you're right Tif."

They continued running down this new tunnel with a hope that their attackers were far behind.

---

"Shouldn't we go after them, sir?" Ox was still confused as to why they hadn't started moving yet.

"No need right now. I've got them right where I want them. Now… my little science experiment can take care of the rest."

Just then, a loud scream reverberated off the walls of the basement; followed by something even more fearsome: a loud and menacing roar. Zetrion smiled again. Those sounds were music to his ears. "Speak of the devil…" Both men left their positions in front of the tunnel to regroup with the rest of the men. They were grouped around a cage… a very large cage. A cage that held one of the most fearsome beasts the men had ever seen. If not for the strong containment prison it was kept in, this monster would have ripped them all to shreds. It looked like a hybrid between a lion and a horned beast. While it had the head of a lion, two curved horns protruded from its forehead. Its front paws held claws that could rip an entire limb off if given the chance. The claws were almost as big as the fist of a human. Its body was a mix of both fur and scales, but the grey fur stood out from the green scales. Its tail was nothing special, having the look of a regular feline tail. But this "animal" was much larger than any average lion.

"How did you… do this?" One of the men asked.

"There were some leftover animals from the experiments of Dr. Hojo. I thought I'd put them to good use. It's amazing, the powers of mako energy. There's just no limits to its possibilities." Zetrion let a wicked smile escape onto his lips, his eyes glowing with the same mako energy that he spoke of. "Ox, all of you, move the cage to the entrance of the tunnel." This was easier said than done as they all made an effort to move the beast to the tunnel's entrance. Most of the men were scared of becoming this thing's dinner, and only Ox put his whole self into moving it. Eventually, they were able to move the cage to the entrance. One of the men jumped on top of the animal's cage and prepared to pull the door up. When he got the nod from Zetrion, the grunt pulled the cage door straight up, letting the beast run into the tunnel at full speed. It did not have to sniff for very long before it caught Cloud and Tifa's scent, and was on the trail to find his next meal.

"This hunt just got a lot more interesting." Spoke Zetrion as he watched his pet run wild until it was gone from his sight.


End file.
